Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
†SHARD, n. Only in comb. yule-shard, eel-, corrupt forms of yule's yaud, eel's-, one who has not got a gift or a new garment at Christmas (Abd. 1970). See Yaud, Jaud, 3. and Yuil. There may have been some formal influence from shard, Shaird. n., 2.Abd. 1900 Trans. Slg. Arch. Soc. 54:
A woman in danger of having something unfinished in the house on the evening of the 24th December is in some parts of Aberdeenshire called a “Yule shard.” “Ye'll be a Yule shard; yer stockin' winna be finished.”Abd. 1921 Swatches o' Hamespun 15:
There wis somethin' new (made or bocht), for ilky een tae weer on Eel day tae haud 'em on-been an Eel shard.
